Extremely dry conditions make for high fire danger during this Fourth-of-July holiday. Please do your part to prevent a local tragedy.
As a reminder of the devastation that can result from a single act of carelessness, we need only look to the Angora Fire that claimed more than 200 homes and displaced 3,500 people near Lake Tahoe. In this case the fire was caused by an illegal campfire gone out-of-control but the cause could just as easily have been fireworks.
Not only are fireworks dangerous but they are also against the law in Clearlake and unincorporated Lake County. Our fire departments will be out in force to make sure people abide by the ban.
If you”re not part of the solution …
Adopt-a-Highway volunteers see first-hand what happens when motorists forget to tarp their loads. At a minimum of six times a year, they clean up trash along our local highways.
Sadly, the very people you”d expect to be a part of the solution — our local franchise haulers — are actually part of the problem. Driving to work one morning this week on State Route 281, one of our newsroom employees was behind a franchise hauler”s truck and saw two plastic bags blow out of the truck”s open hatchway.
Nor was this an isolated incident; our local Adopt-a-Highway coordinator has reported an ongoing problem along State Route 53.
Our local governing officials need to put franchise haulers on notice that they are not above the law and that their truck hatchways need to be closed when driving on our state highways. Keeping our roadways clean should be a condition of our franchise haulers” contracts — with stiff penalties applying when they fail to comply.
Don”t forget to write!
The Clear Lake Observer*American welcomes letters responding to articles and opinions that have appeared in this newspaper, as well as on topics of general interest. Letters can be sent to letters@clearlakeobserver.com or mailed to PO Box 6200, Clearlake, CA 95422.
